Terra-cotta pavement



(No Model.)

J. M. FREEMAN.

TERRA UU'l'lA PAVEMENT No. 310,662. Patented Jan. 13, 1885.

0%;1/1/ areal/M llnrrnn STaTns PATENT Orrrcn JOHN M. FREEMAN, OFSTEUBENVILLE, OHIO. I

TERRA COTT'A PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,662, dated January13, 1885.

' Application filed May 28, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN M. FREEMAN, of Steubenville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Ohio have invented a new and useful Improvementin Terra-Gotta Pavements; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to terracotta blocks employedforstreetpavements.These blocks have been brought to special notice within the last fewyears in connection with the paving of roadways, and it is found thatthey are well adapted to stand the wear of heavy hauling, and that theycan be made and laid at a cost much less than the cost of Belgian blocksand other like stone employed for the purpose. The terra-cotta pavementsheretofore laid have been formed of the ordinary rectangu- Iarfire-clayor similar brick laid in rows across the road-bed upon planking laid ona gravel or sand bed or on an under course of firebrick laid on theirflat faces on a gravel or sand bed, and the employment of this plankingor under course of brick has added much to the cost of the pavement, aswell as rendered the pavement harder to lift and arrange for makingconnections from gas and water pipes passing under the roadway instreets. It is also found that the surface of the bricks or terra-cottablocks was not sufficiently rough to give a good foothold to horses, andthat there was liability of the horses slipping on the pavement or theirfeet slipping in hauling heavy loads.

The object of my invention is to form a pavement of terracotta blocks bywhich all these objections are overcome, and which can be made and laidat much less cost than where the blocks are built on planking or anunder course of bricks, while at the same time each block fits in withand forms a support for the adjoining blocks, and the surface of thefinished pavement .is suitably roughened to give a hold to the horsesfeet.

My invention consists, essentially, in a pavement formed of a gravel orother suitable foundation or bed and a roadway or surface composed of aseries of terra-cotta blocks having tongue-and-groove connection at ornear the center thereof adapted to fit within each other, and thus givea support to the adjoining blocks and form a compact bed in which theweight of any passing vehicle is supported, not only by the blocks onwhich it rests, but by the adjacent blocks, and consequently thepavement is adapted to stand heavy wear without displacement.

It also consists in providing the blocks with beveled or chamfered edgesto form creases for the reception of the calks on the horses shoes, andalso in forming the blocks reversible, so that when worn on one side thepavement can be rclaid and the other side or face of the blocks exposed,and practically a new pavement obtained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, Iwilldescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a sectional perspective of a portion of the pavementillustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a like view of the block employed.Fig. 3 is a like view of another form of the block, and Fig. t is across-section of a portion of the pavement,illustrating the modifiedform of paving-blocks.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The paving-blocks a are formed of fire or other clay, and are molded toany shape by any suitable means, and subsequently baked and vitrified,so as to form an exceedingly hard block. On the center of one side, I),of the blocks is the tongue 0, this tongue being formed midway betweenthe edges of the block, so that the block can be used with either faceor edge up. This tongue 0 extends the entire length of the block, and onthe opposite face I) oftthe block is a corresponding groove, cl, for thereception of the tongue of the adjoining block, the groove (3corresponding to the tongue 0, so that they fit neatly. These tonguesand grooves may be made oval, square, or angular in cross-section, asdesired, and, instead of the one in the center, two or more may beemployed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. When the pavementis built ofaseries of these blocks laid closely together, as shown in Fig. 1, theengaging tongues and grooves form. a connection between the severalblocks and rows of blocks, so as to give a firm support to the roadbedor pavement. them and the sides b b, the edges of the blocks areslightly beveled or chamfercd, as at f, and

Along the faces a, between when laid as shown in Fig. 1 these twobeveled faces form the groove or crease in the pavement in which thecalks of the horses shoes catch, and thus give it a firm support.

Wh erelargeterra-cotta blocks are employed, in order to lighten them,and to give better access of the heat and cause them to be burned iharder, '1 form the blocks hollow, as at Z, a small opening extendingthrough the blocks.

Inlaying the pavement asand or gravel bed, g, is first suitably laid andpacked, and when properly leveled the first course of bricks arelaid,extending across the road-bed, care being taken to impart to themthe proper slope for suitablewater-shed, and the pavement is laid, thetongues of one row of blocks fitting within the grooves of the next row.of blocks, and the sides of the blocks fitting closely against eachother, and thus forming a compact sur- If desired,the improved blocksmay be laid on an under course of fire or other brick laid on their flatfaces, as before referred to, and as shown at m, Fig. 4; but as thecourses of brick lock or engage with each other a sufficiently firmroad-bed is obtained with only the sand or gravel bed; and where theweight of passing vehicles comes on any portion of the pavement, onaccount of the tongue-and-groove connections between the blocks andbecause they fit closely against each other, the weight is distributedover a large portion of the pavement, and consequently it forms a firmroadbed without the subjacent planking or similar under courseheretofore considered necessary.

In case it is desired to remove a portion of the pavement to form aconnection with any under-lying pipes, all thatis necessary is to removea couple of blocks near the curb, when all the other blocks may be drawnout in the 'direction of the width of the pavement, and

after the work is accomplished may be in the same manner slipped intoplace again, and the pavement maintained at its true level and in propercondition.

In case one surface of the blocks becomes too much worn after many yearsof use, all that is necessary is to repave the street, using theopposite or unworn face of the blocks, so that double wear is obtainedfrom my improved blocks.

As no planking or other wood is employed with the pavement, it isevident that there is no fear for the support of the blocks rottingaway, as often occurs in wood pavements or in those supported onplanking.

In case a portion of the gravel or sand bed under the pavingiblocksshould sink from any cause,the blocks can be removed, as before referred to, and the bed filled up without in juring the surface of thepavement.

The blocks shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are also well adapted for the purposeabove described, embodying my invention in another form, as the oval orWedge grooves and tongues give substantially the same support, theonlyadvantage of these blocks being that in case the upper surface ofthe block wears off for more than half its length the lower rows ofengaging tongues and grooves will hold the blocks in place.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A street-pavement having the upper roadbedor wearing-surface thereofformed of a series of terra-cotta block-s having tongue-andgrooveconnections extending centrally along the sides thereof and fittingwithin each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A street-pavement having the road-bed or wearing-surface thereofformed of a series of terra-cotta blocks provided with tongueand-grooveconnections extending centrally along the side thereof, and with bevelededges or corners to form creases, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

3. Astreet-pavementhavingtheupperroadbed or wearing-surface thereofformed of hollow terra-cotta blocks, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN M. FREEMAN, have hereunto set myhand.

JOHN M. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

J. N. OooKE, F. G. KAY.

